Fourteen cows died after a cattle trailer overturned on a Connecticut highway on Thursday, according to state officials.
The truck was carrying 44 dairy cows from Maine to Ohio when it tipped over on the exit 10 off-ramp on Interstate 84 in Newtown, according to the Connecticut Department of Agriculture.
Eight cows were killed in the crash, and six were euthanized at the scene, officials said.
The driver was uninjured, NBC Connecticut reported.
State police said a state veterinarian was called and requested that troopers euthanize the animals based on their injuries “and the risk of exposure to hazardous conditions resulting from the rollover.”
The decision to euthanize was made in coordination with the cows’ owner to limit their suffering, the Department of Agriculture said.
The cattle trailer tipped over on an off-ramp near Newton, Connecticut. NBC CT
Officials said the driver of the truck was not injured. NBC CT
The dairy cows were being transported by Maine to Ohio. NBC CTPer USDA regulations, the meat from the dead cows is not fit for human consumption.
The surviving 30 cows have been evaluated and are “doing well,” officials said.
